Blur — Think Tank

With his one-time rivals Oasis stuck in the purgatory of repeating their classic album over and over again, it’s hard to fault Damon Albarn for wanting to diversify. And diversification does have its benefits. Blur's last album, 13, which touched on a huge range of influences, was brilliant. But, Albarn and his Blur-mates (minus longtime guitarist Graham Coxon who exited the band shortly before Think Tank was recorded) confuse experimentation with self-indulgence this time out. Think Tank would be a decent album from a brand new band struggling to nail their sound, but for these 14-year veterans, it sounds amateurish. Most of the songs are hazy, druggy messes with little structure or melody. Production contributions by William Orbit and Fatboy Slim (plus the lone Coxon co-write) are only out-of-place reminders that Blur are capable of so much more than this loosey-goosey navel-gazing. Sure, it’s more adventurous and admirable than a bunch of "Song 2" rewrites, but Think Tank is hardly worth the four year wait.

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